Collapsible container and stand therefor



y 1951 B. LOVENTHAL 2,553,377

COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER AND STAND THEREFOR Filed Aug. 27, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l u 1| H II; lll-llllllllllllllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHII W IHIW&MII IHIHH% MINUMMIIIIIJIIII Ulllflg d m \\\\M||[IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJIIIIV "@AMI w I 1 I m/eutm jaizjairzz'izj az/ezzzkaz.

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May 15, 1951 B. L. LOVENTHAL 2,553,377

CQLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER AND STAND THEREFOR Filed Aug. 27, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor fiaijazzzz'zzjlawzzzka Z.

By 2mm WW @Mgg i atentecl May 15, 1951 UNITED STATES OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER AND STAND THEREFOR 5 Claims.

This invention relates to an ornamental novelty in the form of a collapsible bowl-like container and a stand therefor.

An object of the invention is to provide a container and stand of the above kind, the major parts of which are produced from a single fiat board or sheet.

Another object is to provide a collapsible bowllike container consisting of a flat sheet having a slit of generally spiral form cut therethrough so as to provide a bottom and flexible convolutions surrounding the bottom and depressible relative to each other to dispose them in stepped relation, the slit ending short of the center and the outer edge of the plate.

A further object is to provide the slit so that the walls of the convolutions incline downwardly and inwardly to limit relative depression of the bottom and convolutions so that the top of each will be slightly above the bottom of the next convolution outwardly thereof and close joints will be provided between the adjacent walls of the bottom and convolutions.

Still another object is to provide a stand for the container including a vertical open frame in which the container is mounted, said frame having spaced legs at the bottom and a standard between and shorter than the legs and provided with a central cut-out in its lower end, and a removable cross prop including a flexible strip member vertically slidable in the cut-out and having coacting end jaws receiving the standard therebetween, the jaws engaging the standard above the cut-out, the strip member having a concave under surface so as to contact the support only at its ends and to thereby be flexed by the weight of the container and the stand so as to force the jaws toward each other into gripping engagement with the standard.

The exact nature of the present invention, as well as other objects and features thereof, will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a con tainer and stand constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof,

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the container, taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 55 of Figure 2, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevational View illustrating the manner in which the cross prop is cut from the same board or sheet that is cut to provide the stand frame.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the present invention includes a container C and a stand S, the major parts of which are produced from a single fiat board or sheet. In carrying out the invention, a flat board or sheet of suitable dimensions has a relatively large opening 5 cut or formed therein so that the part freed from the board within said opening may be used to product the container C, while the part of the board outside the opening is used to produce the frame 6 of the stand. While the opening 5 is shown of circular form, it may be of other shapes, so that the container C may be correspondingly of other shapes.

In producing the container C from the portion of the board freed within the opening 5, said board portion is provided with a slit 7 of generally spiral form and cut or otherwise provided through the board portion so as to provide a container bottom 8 and flexible convolutions 9 surrounding the bottom and depressible relative to each other to dispose them in stepped relation as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4. The slit 1 ends short of the center and the outer edge of the board portion, as at it and II, respectively, and it will be seen that when the bottom and the convolutions are depressed relative to each other, a bowl-like container is provided. In cutting the slit, such as by means of a, thin saw blade, the walls i2 of the bottom and the convolutions are produced so as to incline downwardly and inwardly at a proper angle to the vertical, whereby to limit relative depression of the bottom and convolutions to points wherein the top of each will be slightly above the bottom of the next convolution outwardly thereof and close joints will be provided between the adjacent walls :2 of the bottom and convolutions, as clearly shown in Figure l. Obviously, the bottom and convolutions may be forcibly re- 3 turned to a normal position in the same plane if it is desired to collapse the container.

By cutting away the outer edge portions of the original board or sheet outwardly of and spaced from the opening 5, the frame 6 may be formed of suitable design. As shown, it is provided with numerous ornamental projections I3 which are of different shapes and extend in different directions, those on the lower portion of the frame depending so as to present an unique and pleasing appearance. Certain of the depending lower projections I3 extend below the rest and are spaced at equal distances from opposite sides of the vertical center of the frame to form a pair of supporting legs. Another projection intermediate the legs I3 is formed to provide a standard I3a which is slightly shorter than the legs I3 and has a central cut-out Id in its lower end. A removable cross prop P is associated with the standard I3a. so as to cooperate with the legs I3 to sustain the frame 6 in a vertical position. This cross prop includes a horizontal flexible strip member having a part I provided with integral coacting end jaws it and a part I! glued or otherwise secured to the under surface of the part I5 and the bottoms of the jaws I6. This flexible strip member is snugly received in the cut-out I4 so as to be Vertically slidable therein, and the jaws I6 receive the standard I3a therebetween, the jaws engaging the standard above the cut-out. The part ll of the strip member has a concave under surface It so as to contact the flat top of a table or similar support only at its ends and to thereby be flexed by the weight of the container and stand so as to force the jaws toward each other into gripping engagement with the standard I3a. The part of the cross prop composed of strip member I5 and jaws I6 is cut from the original board so as to comprise the partremoved in forming the legs I3 and standard i3a, prior to forming the cut-out l as shown in Figure 6.

The container C is suitably mounted in a horizontal position within and diametrically of the frame 8. As shown, the container is pivoted within the frame by means of pivot pins I9 that enter the outer convolutions of the container at diametrically opposite points so that the container is mounted to swing vertically about a horizontal axis to either assume the horizontal operative position of Figure 3 or a vertical position. When the container is in the vertical position, it may be collapsed so as to assume a position wholly within the frame. When this is done and the cross prop is removed, the device may be compactly arranged for storage or shipment. The pivots I9 are preferably provided so that the container will not freely swing and must be forcibly moved or swung relative to the frame. While the slit I is illustrated as of serpentine form, it may be truly spiral or in other forms without the wavey characteristic.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction, method of manufacture, and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. As described, the entire device is produced from a single flat sheet or board, except for the strip member I! of the cross prop and by simply cutting or sawing through the original board or sheet. The container and frame may be readily made in many different specific shapes and given many different ornamental contours or outlines, according to the exact form and direction of the cuts made through the board or sheet. A very attractive and practical novelty container and stand is thus provided which may be readily and economically produced at small cost. The invention is, accordingly, susceptible to modification and changes in specific details illustrated and described, such as fall Within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, a collapsible bowl-like container consisting of a flat sheet having a slit of generally spiral form out therethrough so as to provide a container bottom and flexible convolutions surrounding the bottom, the bottom and convolution being depressible relative to each other to dispose them in stepped relation with the convolutions forming the side walls of the container, the split ending short of the center and the outer edge of the sheet, the side walls of the convolution and the outer wall of the bottom inclining downwardly and inwardly to limit relative depression of the bottom and convolutions to point wherein the top of each is slightly above the bottom of the next convolution outwardly thereof, and to provide close joints between the adjacent walls of the bottom and convolutions.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a stand including a vertical open frame, said frame having spaced legs at the bottom and a standard between and shorter than the legs, said standard being provided with a central cut-out in its lower end, and a removable cross prop for the frame including a flexible strip member vertically slidable in the cut-out and having coacting end jaws receiving the standard therebetween, the jaws engaging the standard above the cut-out, the strip member having a concave under surface adapted to contact a flat, horizontal supporting surface only at its ends and to thereby be flexed by the weight of the stand so as to force the jaws toward each other into gripping engagement with the standard, and a container mounted within the frame.

3. A device of the class described comprising a vertical open frame provided with integral legs, a cross prop for the frame disposed between said legs, and a bowl-like container pivotly mounted within the frame, the frame and container being formed of parts concentrically cut from a single board of a size approximating that of the frame, the cross prop being cut from the board between the legs, the container comprising a spirally slitted part out from the board to form the opening of the frame.

4. A device of the character described including a stand, said stand including a vertical frame having an opening, and a single collapsible bowllike container disposed within the frame and directly pivoted at opposite sides to opposite sides of the frame for movement from a horizontal operative position to a vertical inoperative position, said container corresponding in size and shape to that of the frame opening and being collapsible to a flat form for lying wholly within the plane of and completely closing the frame when vertically positioned.

5. A method of forming a spiral receptacle from a flat blank of material comprising cutting a continuous spiral in said blank to form spiral convolutions terminating at one end in a centrally disposed center disk, cutting a circular out between the outer spiral convolution and the peripheral edge of said blank, extending oppositely disposed pivot pins through said peripheral edge into said outer spiral convolution, and

extending said convolutions to form a spiral basket whose bottom is formed by said center disk.

BENJAMIN L. LOVENTHAL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 210,229 White 1 Nov. 26, 1878 514,205 Timberlake Feb. 6, 1894 790,924 Samuels May 30, 1905 Number Number 

